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NTA History

  • If one were to look at the not too distant past and trace the beginnings of the National Tobacco Administration, it will be revealed that the agency is the end result of the merger of seven separate and distinct agencies.

    These erstwhile agencies which collectively – albeit disparately – handled the Philippine Tobacco Industry were the Philippine Tobacco Administration (PTA), Philippine Virginia Tobacco Administration (PVTA), Philippine Tobacco Board (PTB), Philippine Virginia Tobacco Board (PVTB), Philippine Tobacco Research and Training Center (PTRTC), Virginia Tobacco Fuelwood Corporation (VTFC), and the National Tobacco Classification Council (NTCC).

    In order to rationalize and streamline the Philippine tobacco industry, these agencies were scrapped and molded into one entity which is now the National Tobacco Administration (NTA).

    The NTA was designed as the definitive government body that will handle anything and everything that has to do with the Philippine tobacco industry, especially in ensuring its growth and development.

    The merger was realized in 1987 when President Corazon C. Aquino signed Executive Order 245 issued on 24 July 1987.

    E.O. 245 was the catalyzing law which closely followed the earlier E.O. 116 which was issued on 30 January 1987; the initiator of the inevitable merger of the seven agencies.

    In order to effectively implement the Agency's programs and projects covering the tobacco growing provinces specifically in Regions I & II, the NTA maintains eight strategically-located Branch Offices, namely:

    • Ilocos Norte - Batac
    • Ilocos Sur - Vigan
    • Ilocos Sur - Candon
    • Abra - Bangued
    • La Union - San Fernando
    • Pangasinan - Rosales
    • Isabela - Ilagan
    • Cagayan - Tuguegarao

    • The Past to the Present Administrators

  • The development of the tobacco industry towards its meaningful growth did not happen by chance. It is through the deliberate, purposive and incessant efforts by the pioneers that nurtured the industry to be so. The herculean task rests on the shoulder of the Chief Executive of the Agency that is mandated to steer such development, the NTA Administrators. For the past 22 years of NTA, nine (9) Administrators have demonstrated how amply and ably they have contributed to the string of successes the Agency achieved in the pursuit of its mandate:

    Atty. Mariano Un Ocampo III (25 March 1986 to 30 November 1987) initiated the merger of all the tobacco agencies and continued the Tobacco Contract Growing Project (TCGP) of the PVTA; acquisition of NTA central office building.

    Atty. Alonzo Q. Ancheta (03 December 1987 to 08 March 1990) implemented the consolidation /merger of seven tobacco agencies into one, the NTA, pursuant to EO 245; and initiated the NTA-Land Bank-financed Special Credit Assistance Program for Tobacco Growers (SCAPTG).

    Mr. Edilberto V. Cariaso (01 April 1990 to 07 December 1992) continued the full flavor virginia tobacco program with Fortune Tobacco Corporation; expanded/doubled the TCGP coverage; introduced the nitrate based fertilizer for tobacco; and initiated the backyard energy farm/reforestation project.

    Atty. Joaquin T. Ortega (08 December 1992 to 15 January 1995) introduced the commercialization and use of coal briquettes as fuel for tobacco curing and nitrate-based fertilizer; and declared policy to adopt/initiated the implementation of the Total Tobacco Contract Growing Project (TCGP).

    Mr. Amante E. Siapno (16 January 1995 to 15 March 1998) introduced the improved flavor virginia and burley tobacco production project; and expansion of burley and native tobacco production in the Visayas and Mindanao; introduced the Integrated Tobacco Based Farming Systems (ITBFS) and the Project Assistance for Uncovered Traditional Tobacco Growing Areas (PATTGAS), under the DA-Key Commercial Crops Development Program (KCCDP); and initiated the NTA Housing Project.

    Atty. Antonio M. de Guzman (16 July 1998 to 29 February 2001) resuscitated the Agency from its crucial organizational and financial situation, pioneered the full flavor virginia tobacco program, implemented the streamlining/restructuring of the Agency pursuant to EO 29 as amended by EO 36, and introduced three development programs, namely: Total Market Development Through Responsive Research, Quality Production, Fair and Equitable Trading and Efficient Delivery of Services; and Total Farmer-Total Farming-Total Technician Development Program.

    Atty. Carlitos S. Encarnacion (1 March 2001 to 18 June 2003) refocused Agency thrusts to strategically align with the present Administration's major goal to modernize agriculture and achieve poverty alleviation, food security and farmer empowerment; initiated during the Strategic Planning Workshop in Baguio City the adoption by NTA management of the policy to transform the NTA from being purely service-oriented into a viable government corporate entity but without sacrificing developmental/service mandates, resulting to streamlining of operations eliminating costly projects and putting into the mainstream result oriented, high impact and income generating, priority projects and pioneering ventures that included the development of tobacco's other industrial uses; and cost sharing arrangement with the tobacco private sector in Protocol Research and Tobacco Contract Growing System.

    Mr. Mamerto E. Ellorin (19 June 2003 to 12 March 2004) initiated the re-institution of the commodity clearance system, as standard government regulatory procedures for imported/exported manufactured and unmanufactured tobacco.

    Beset by a very poor crop quality performance in CY 2002-2003, sought the participation of the private sector, congressional representatives of the tobacco producing districts and local government officials, in charting a unified direction and forming strategies that gave rise to diversification of marginal lands, early licensing of tobacco trader/buyers to capture purchase commitment, in order to determine crop size and the early planting scheme.

    Chaired the Technical Working Group that prepared and finalized the 2004-2008 Strategic Plan to Modernize the Tobacco Industry in Region I, the approval of which, in 08 March 2004 by the Regional Development Council (RDC) - EXCOM, clinched his term.

    Atty. Carlitos S. Encarnacion (13 March 2004 to 30 June 2010) concretize acknowledgement by the tobacco private sector of the regulatory of the NTA under existing laws; pushing for the expansion of the coverage of the exercise of regulatory authority of the NTA under existing laws; implementation of priority projects that included PGIS-DA-NTA-PATCO Productivity and Growth through Marketing Assistance - Multiline Food Processing Joint Agribusiness Project (PGMA_MFPP); aggressive pursuance of pioneering ventures to include development and commercialization of tobacco dust production, as molluscicide cum fertilizer for aquaculture application, tobacco handmade paper and handicrafts, ethanol, tobacco extracts as pesticides for mango, vegetables and ornamentals; harmonization and synergistic collaboration among industry sectors; pushing for market driven quality tobacco production through tobacco contract growing system; effective interfacing and resource tapping with other agencies/bureaus to support agency's programs for the farmers; construction of branch office buildings for La Union, Cagayan, Isabela, Abra, Vigan and Pangasinan branch offices; continuing adoption of economy measures and revenue generation for the Agency leading to the continuing improvement in financial condition.

    Mr. Edgardo D. Zaragosa (22 September 2010 to present)
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